Process of laundering and detergent used therein



' tel-gent is ready for use.

Patented Apr. 30, 1929-. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE HAG-ER AND JOHN POPPERMAN, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS,'ASSIGNOBS TO PINE-O- PINE COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

PROCESS OF LAUNDERIN G,AI 1'D DETERGENT USED THEREIN.

No Drawing. Application filed May 4,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in composition'for use as a detergent for laundering fabrics, clothing and the like. The composition is also suit-- able for other uses, and we do not restrict ourselves to the use as a detergent.

One object of the invention resides in a novel detergent for use in the laundering process whereby fabrics may be cleansed, without injury and with a minimum amount of soap and soda, and by means of which the natural fibre and luster of the fabrics will be restored.-

Another object of the process consists in a novel process whereby fabrics may be laundered without the use of injurious detergents and the necessity of violent scrubbing, the life of the suds kept up, the containers (movable or stationary in which the-washing is conducted) kept bright and clean, the cost of laundering reduced and a wholesome sweet odor maintained in the laundry.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention relates toa novel process presently to be set forth in specific detail In carrying out the process a detergent is first provided consisting of pine oil, rosin, caustic soda and water, mixed .in suitable proportions. \Ve state by way of example,

the following approximate proportions and manner of compounding, as follows Pine oil 62.2%, rosin 24.6%, caustic soda 3.8% and water 9.4%. In producing the dctergent, pine oil and'rosin are first mixed in about the proportions of; 72 parts of pine oil and 28 parts of rosin and maintained hot, say at a temperature of about 190 F., stirring at intervals until the rosin is thoroughly disolved, which may require 3 to 4: hours.

The caustic soda and water are mixed separately from the above and stirred until the caustic soda is dissolved. The abbve solutions are thenthoroughly mixed together, preferably at about l-200 F., and the de If desired a small amount (say 10% to 40%) of turpentine may be substituted for a part of the 62.2% of pine oil and the quantity of pine oil correspondingly reduced.

in carrying out the laundering process the detergent above described may be mixed with water say in about the proportion of one part of detergent to eight parts of water 1926. Serial No. 106,752.

forming an emulsion. Preferably common soap (e. g. soap chips) or the like, is dis solved first in the water to be used in washing the clothes. The amount of soap can vary, depending on the articles to be washed, between about two and five lbs. to 50 gallens of water. To this 50 gallons we add about two to four lbs. of said emulsion produced by diluting the detergent composition with eight times its volume of water. FCommon. soap, referredto herein is soap made by saponifying fats with alkali, say soda, in the usual way.

The garments, (pr-fabrics, to be cleansed are then placed in a suitable washing receptacle, say a drum, wheel or other container, in which they are immersed and agitated or tumbled in said liquor. The washing machine'is then run in the usual manner. The fabrics may be left in this first suds for approximately 25 minutes and the suds then drawn off. For the second and succeeding suds, about half as much of thecomposition, and correspondingly less soap will sufiice.

For certain purposes the process may be varied by mixing the soap with the detergent composition in theproportion of about two quarts of the detergent to twenty pounds of soap and then mixing this mixture with about forty gallonsof water, thus forming a suds and then putting about two gallons of this composition into the wheel, or other laundry container in which the fabrics have already been immersed in 50 gallons of water. Of'course, the amount of this suds to be used varies with the quantity, charactor and dirtiness of the laundry, being cleaned, and amount of water in the wheel.

It is to be observed that the process may be carried out with any type of laundry wheel, or drum or other container, as well as in the ordinary hand laundering.

It will be understood that while we have particularly specified soda in the above description, other caustic alkalies, such as caustic potash can be employed, in about chemically equivalent amounts. It is further to be noted that the above proportions are given by way of example, and more or less variation in these proportions is not precluded.

The detergent above described, and used in the process as specified is a liquid mass.

The material, as usually prepared from commercial materials, is a golden brown practically transparent liquid, and appears to be a solution, although it may contain 7% or so of water. This does not have the appearance of an emulsion as the'term is ordinarily understood, but is clear and bright. However if considerably more water is added, this will produce an emulsion, which will be opaque.

The product is soluble in gasoline (notably the light gasoline ordinarily employed by dry-cleaners), and is entirely suitable for use as a substitute for the dry-cleaners soap commonly used in dry-cleaning processes. For that purpose, one volume of the detergent can be diluted with two volumes of gasoline to form a stock solution and one to three quarts of such solution added to 40 gallons of gasoline for ordinary dry-cleaning; Here also the proportions given are illustrative. t forms an emulsion with water, does not require the aid of caustic soda, reduces the amount of soap required, acts as a solvent for the dirt and stains and holds the same in suspension, acts as an antidote for acids and bleachers, dissolves fats and greases in the fabrics, is not injurious to fabrics because it contains no acids and no appreciable amount of free alkali, and keeps the cylinder, or drum, or other laundry container clean because of its high detergent action. The cloudy grayish appearance of the clothes will disappear after a few washings.

We claim y 1. A detergent which comprises the reaction products of rosin, with a solution of caustic soda containing at leastenough of the latter to saponify the said rosin, together with an amount of pine oil greater than the combined amounts of rosin and caustic soda,

2. A composition of matter suitable as a clear liquid detergent in washing fabrics with water and also suitable as a detergent in dry-eleaning fabrics, consisting essentially of the reaction products of pine oil, rosin, caustic soda and water, in the proportions of about 62.2% pine oil, 24.6% rosin, 3.8% caustic soda and 9.4% water.

3. A clear liquid detergent composition comprising the reaction products of a small amount of caustic soda, several times as much of resin and an amount of pine oil which is substantially greater than the amount of rosin, together with a small amount of water.

l. A composition of matter comprising the reaction products of caustic soda, rosin, pine oil and water, said materials being in such proportions that the water is at least suiiicient to readily dissolve the caustic soda, the pine oil is in amount at least suilicient to dissolve the resin, the caustic soda is at least sufiicient to saponity the resin, and

such entire composition being in a liquid state when hot, such composition being read- 11y miscible both with water and with gasoline used in drycleani11g, and having strong oil and water, said materials being in such proportions that the water is at least sufficient toreadily dissolve the caustic alkali, the pine oil is in amount at least sufiicient to dissolve the rosin, the caustic alkali is at least suflicient to saponify the resin and such entire composition being in a liquid state when hot, such composition being readily miscible both with water and with gasoline used in dry-cleaning, and having strong detergent properties both when mixed with water and with gasoline.

7. A liquid composition of matter comprising a large proportion of pine oil and a rosin soap dissolved in the pine 011 to the formation of a liquid which in the absence of any substantial amount of added water will be a substantially clear liquid, and which liquid readily emulsifies upon addition to water, which emulsion upon agitation freely forms suds.

8. A liquid composition of matter having detergent properties including pine oil, turpentine and rosin soap, the pine oil and turpentine together being in greater proportion than the amount of resin soap.

9. A liquid composition of matter having detergent properties readily miscible with both water and gasoline and forming therewith a detergent; containing pine oil and rosin soap, ill'llqllid admixture with the pine oil, the amount of said pine oil being greater than the amount of said rosin soap, and the composition, if free from substantial amounts of added water, being a clear substantially transparent liquid.

10. A liquid composition of matter containing pine oil and resin soap in an intimate mixture, and water, the amount of the pine oil being greater than the amount of the resin soap, and the amount of the resin soap bein sutlicient to emulsify the pine oil when in the presence of a large amount of water, such composition being capable of intimate mixture with water to form an emulsion having detergent and foaming qualities. I

ll. A composition of matter in the form of a substantially clear liquid, containing pine oil and. the reaction products of alkali and resin, together with a small percentage of water, which composition when diluted with water, will form an emulsion having detergent properties.

12. A process of laundering soiled fabrics of the kinds ordinarily washed in laundries which comprises mixing water with a very small percentage of a readily emulsifiable detergent composition, such composition containing a small amount of the reaction products of a fixed alkali and rosin mixed with a substantially larger amount of pine oil, and agitating the said soiled fabrics with the liquid until the dirt on the fabrics has been, in large part at least, loosened and removed from the fabrics.

13. A process of laundering soiled fabrics of the kinds ordinarily washed in launderies which comprises mixing water with a very small percentage of a readily emulsitiable detergent composition, such composition containing a small amount of the reaction products of a fixed alkali and rosin mixed with a substantially larger amount of pine oil, together with laundry soap as the only additional cleansing agent, agitating the said soiled fabrics with the liquid until the dirt on the fabrics has been, in large part at least, loosened and removed from the fabrics.

In testimony whereof we aflix our'signatures.

LEE HAGER. JOHN POPPERMAN. 

